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May 10, 2013 8:55 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
I've been making a list of features and details I've seen in other mini gardens that I think I could duplicate without buying ready-made, and working my way through making them. Would love to hear about and see details that you like and have made, whether installed in a garden or not. I don't mind having a few ready-made things, and would probably buy a bunch more if I wanted to spend more on this, stuff I could never make myself, but would like to discuss here things people can do/re-purpose without just buying (except for materials like paint, glue, sticks or other construction materials.)

Let's see your stuff! Hear your ideas!

Hollowed, painted corks, whirlygig saved from a birthday cake
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Clay (Crayola air dry) bird bath parts and bricks drying:
Thumb of 2013-05-10/purpleinopp/abe430

Shed made out of old mini blind slats and little sticks smaller than popsicle sticks. I don't remember why many years ago I bought the little sheets of shiny squares on mesh backing, but as DH suggested, they make great windows...:
Thumb of 2013-05-10/purpleinopp/e78486

Wind chime of florist wire, beads, rocks meant for necklace-stringing:
Thumb of 2013-05-10/purpleinopp/21a3a5

Other wind chime:
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DH made the table, I made the chair, bought plate and watering can:
Thumb of 2013-05-10/purpleinopp/83b9e6

Cyclone beach fence made of "not popsicle sticks" and florist wire:
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Showed DH the little wooden bird house I already had, asking for more, and he showed up the next day with this, used a pencil for the stake, nail with head cut off for perch. Needs another coat of paint.
Thumb of 2013-05-10/purpleinopp/277dbb

This pool was the lid of a fast-food container. I cut off the rim, painted a few coats of blue, aquarium rocks. The chair isn't meant to be in the pool, but fits there to share the pic. The chair is florist wire, hot glue, fabric scrap glued on a piece of plastic tub lid that's waterproof and easy to cut to shape.
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This was bought years ago for my daughter's Barbies. Painted it and decided the back was a good place to glue a gaggle of the friendly plastic doo-dads I made (...in the 90's?) Going to use that "tacky" stuff to place items inside, so I can rearrange if I want.
Thumb of 2013-05-10/purpleinopp/758691

My real outdoor gardens are very sedate as far as having hardly any gizmos or gadgets, so it's fun to let that restrained part of me really go with this mini thing.
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In case somebody wants to copy/paste this, it has the stuff above included, kind of a list, kind of notes:
alum. cans as sheet metal
basket: line with fabric for utensils
bird bath
bird feeder
bird house
boots (Barbie)
bridge
burgers, dogs, shish-ka-bobs for grill
butcher block table
cake columns: gazebo or Roman row
cake decoration: whirlygig
coil of wire for hose
corks as tiny planters
doughnuts (clay)
fences, various types
grill
hammock
hanging baskets (plastic bottle lid, wire)
magazine or book
marble as gazing ball
mushrooms
napkin holder
picnic table
pool & lounge chairs
sconces
shed
sign
statues
stream/waterfall
stump
swing set
table, chairs, bench
tiny pots
various paths
wind chimes
wire arbor/trellis
wishing well
wooden play/slide thing
wreath
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯
The only way to succeed is to try!
🐣🐦🐔🍯🐾🌺🌻🌸🌼🌹
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧🍁🍂🌽❀☀ ☕👓🐝
Try to be more valuable than a bad example.
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May 10, 2013 2:14 PM CST
Name: Bev
Salem OR (Zone 8a)
Container Gardener Foliage Fan Sempervivums Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Garden Ideas: Master Level
Wow, I'm not into miniature gardening but I'm impressed with the creativity, thinking out of the box, fun visualizations, dedication to recycling/re-purposing etc. Thanks for all that has been inspiring...I'm still in the 'used-dryer-sheets as snow bkground' for my greeting cards' stage... Blinking
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May 14, 2013 4:58 AM CST
Name: Chris
Ripon, Wisconsin
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Sages Garden Ideas: Master Level Seller of Garden Stuff I sent a postcard to Randy!
Sempervivums Sedums Region: Wisconsin Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Avid Green Pages Reviewer
Very creative! Do you plan on keeping your gardens indoors?
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May 15, 2013 8:12 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
Thanks, and thanks!

These gardens are for outside, except for a few months when it's too cold. Spraying the painted items (and others sensitive to getting wet) with clear urethane will prevent them from being ruined, at least too quickly, by rain and dew. I don't know about fading, time will tell... Anything wobbly or light enough to blow away in the wind can have a piece of wire glued to the bottom, so it can be stuck in the soil for security.

Having a ton of fun the past few days, making/painting more mini garden decorations! Will take more pics soon.
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯
The only way to succeed is to try!
🐣🐦🐔🍯🐾🌺🌻🌸🌼🌹
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧🍁🍂🌽❀☀ ☕👓🐝
Try to be more valuable than a bad example.
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Jul 6, 2015 6:21 AM CST
Name: Terri Stanley
Doddridge Co. WV (Zone 6a)
Terristanley.blogspot.com
Bee Lover Vegetable Grower Plant and/or Seed Trader Sempervivums Sedums Plumerias
Canning and food preservation Hummingbirder Dragonflies Dog Lover Container Gardener Cat Lover
Very cool!
Sunset zone 36
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort!
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Jul 6, 2015 3:01 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
Here's some of the decorations added to my mini garden more recently...


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Thumb of 2015-07-06/purpleinopp/3f14a4
Thumb of 2015-07-06/purpleinopp/651345
Thumb of 2015-07-06/purpleinopp/aff3b9
Thumb of 2015-07-06/purpleinopp/976010
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯
The only way to succeed is to try!
🐣🐦🐔🍯🐾🌺🌻🌸🌼🌹
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧🍁🍂🌽❀☀ ☕👓🐝
Try to be more valuable than a bad example.
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Jul 6, 2015 9:31 PM CST
Name: Bev
Salem OR (Zone 8a)
Container Gardener Foliage Fan Sempervivums Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Garden Ideas: Master Level
I like that lady bug on the succulent!
Avatar for Texasgal77
Feb 24, 2016 6:22 PM CST
Name: Jeanne
Baytown, TX Zone 9a
Adorable! We've made alot of things as I have done three Dollhouses. Most everything is for the interior! I will have to find pictures. There is a very extensive writeup on the other DG site.
I believe it is under Crafts.

I love the way you think! You have an excellent start! Keep up the good work!
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Feb 24, 2016 7:26 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
TYVM!

Here's the 2 wine cork pots in use. They were bright blue but have faded a bit.
Thumb of 2016-02-25/purpleinopp/e836d2
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯
The only way to succeed is to try!
🐣🐦🐔🍯🐾🌺🌻🌸🌼🌹
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧🍁🍂🌽❀☀ ☕👓🐝
Try to be more valuable than a bad example.
Avatar for Texasgal77
Feb 25, 2016 2:05 AM CST
Name: Jeanne
Baytown, TX Zone 9a
Thanks for the pictures. I will have to get my daughter to save her wine corks for me! Thank You!
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Aug 15, 2016 12:23 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
I made a micro picnic table & bench yesterday with craft sticks (similar to popsicle sticks but the ends aren't rounded) for mini #2. The sticks not hard to cut with wire snippers. It makes the cooler look huge, but it's hard to keep everything on the same scale in a mini.
Thumb of 2016-08-15/purpleinopp/6c36ca
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯
The only way to succeed is to try!
🐣🐦🐔🍯🐾🌺🌻🌸🌼🌹
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧🍁🍂🌽❀☀ ☕👓🐝
Try to be more valuable than a bad example.
Image
Aug 15, 2016 12:31 PM CST
Name: Bev
Salem OR (Zone 8a)
Container Gardener Foliage Fan Sempervivums Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Garden Ideas: Master Level
Tiffany, some people go camping with HUGE coolers!! Nice picnic table!
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Aug 15, 2016 12:36 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
Awww, TYVM!!
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯
The only way to succeed is to try!
🐣🐦🐔🍯🐾🌺🌻🌸🌼🌹
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧🍁🍂🌽❀☀ ☕👓🐝
Try to be more valuable than a bad example.
Image
Aug 21, 2016 7:17 AM CST
Name: Becky
Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Daylilies Hummingbirder Butterflies Seed Starter Container Gardener
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Birds Ponds
What a great idea to use craft sticks to make a picnic table! I will have to remember that craft idea for when my granddaughters come to visit. Too cute! Thumbs up
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.
Garden Rooms and Becky's Budget Garden
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Aug 21, 2016 8:32 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
Thanks! The hardest part was waiting for the glue to dry at various stages.
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯
The only way to succeed is to try!
🐣🐦🐔🍯🐾🌺🌻🌸🌼🌹
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧🍁🍂🌽❀☀ ☕👓🐝
Try to be more valuable than a bad example.
Image
Aug 21, 2016 9:42 AM CST
Name: Becky
Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Daylilies Hummingbirder Butterflies Seed Starter Container Gardener
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Birds Ponds
What does the frame of the picnic table look like? I was trying to see how you built the frame. Any possibility of a photo of the underneath side of the picnic table?
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.
Garden Rooms and Becky's Budget Garden
Image
Aug 21, 2016 10:01 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
Sure! I glued the scrap pieces to the top, then the legs, then the supports to hold the legs more securely.
Thumb of 2016-08-21/purpleinopp/840492
Thumb of 2016-08-21/purpleinopp/5bd409
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯
The only way to succeed is to try!
🐣🐦🐔🍯🐾🌺🌻🌸🌼🌹
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧🍁🍂🌽❀☀ ☕👓🐝
Try to be more valuable than a bad example.
Image
Aug 21, 2016 10:43 AM CST
Name: Becky
Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Daylilies Hummingbirder Butterflies Seed Starter Container Gardener
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Birds Ponds
Thank you!

Very nice! Thanks for sharing the frame in photos! Do you seal it with anything considering it looks like raw pine wood?
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.
Garden Rooms and Becky's Budget Garden
Last edited by beckygardener Aug 21, 2016 10:44 AM Icon for preview
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Aug 22, 2016 7:50 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
TY! I didn't, hoping it will turn a darker, more aged color.
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯
The only way to succeed is to try!
🐣🐦🐔🍯🐾🌺🌻🌸🌼🌹
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧🍁🍂🌽❀☀ ☕👓🐝
Try to be more valuable than a bad example.
Image
Feb 19, 2017 4:15 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
Some new stuff, and updates on new positions of some stuff I already had.

Found at Dollar General. I was so surprised!
Thumb of 2017-02-19/purpleinopp/2da709

Flower & tiny house are gifts from my daughter.
Thumb of 2017-02-19/purpleinopp/f8590b
Thumb of 2017-02-19/purpleinopp/64a347

Thumb of 2017-02-19/purpleinopp/d96be9

Home-made chairs made out of florist wire and upholstered with furniture fabric is holding up surprisingly well outside. Get some direct sun, and side-spray during a hard rain, but is under porch roof so this garden doesn't get directly drenched.
Thumb of 2017-02-19/purpleinopp/bbde1b
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯
The only way to succeed is to try!
🐣🐦🐔🍯🐾🌺🌻🌸🌼🌹
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧🍁🍂🌽❀☀ ☕👓🐝
Try to be more valuable than a bad example.

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